It is known to provide a fuel filler pipe for a vehicle. In a vehicle such as an automotive vehicle, the fuel filler pipe extends between an externally accessible location of the vehicle and a fuel tank, wherein fueling is accomplished by a user inserting a service station fuel pump nozzle into the fuel filler pipe. The fuel filler pipe typically includes a filler tube connected to the fuel tank, a nozzle entry chamber which has a generally cylindrical shape of a diameter much larger than that of the filler tube, and a filler neck which has a generally frustoconical shape that provides interfacing between the filler tube and the nozzle entry chamber. The nozzle entry chamber has a threaded opening for threadably receiving a selectively removable filler cap (sometimes referred to as a “gas cap”) and further has a nozzle guide orifice internally disposed in the nozzle entry chamber in spaced relation with respect to the threaded opening. The fuel filler pipe is interfaced with a body of the vehicle by connection thereto at the nozzle entry chamber.
In operation, a service station user unthreads the filler cap, inserts the service station fuel pump nozzle into the nozzle entry chamber so that it passes through the nozzle guide orifice, and then begins fueling the vehicle. The fueling process is automatically regulated by a fuel shut-off sensor in the pump nozzle. The fuel shut-off sensor senses predetermined differential pressure between the fluid pressure of fuel exiting the pump nozzle and the fluid pressure at an aspirator hole in the pump nozzle so that fuel flow will be automatically shut-off before the fuel can accumulate sufficiently such as to overflow the fuel filler pipe.
The fuel filler pipe is typically unsupported between a body structure connection and a fuel fill tank connection. The fuel filler pipe may be supported by directly contacting the body structure of the vehicle. Further, the fuel filler pipe may produce noise such as rattling due to the interface between the fuel filler pipe and the body structure.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a support member for a fuel filler pipe in a vehicle to support the fuel filler pipe above structure of the vehicle. It is also desirable to provide a retaining member for a fuel filler pipe in a vehicle to provide a rattle-free interface. It is further desirable to provide a retaining and support member for a fuel filler pipe in a vehicle. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a member that meets at least one of these desires.